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Yes, you can have psoriasis and still dress fashionably. You just need to be strategic about choosing your wardrobe.

Tim Gunn, fashion mentor to clothing designers on television’s Project Runway, knows this firsthand. His sister has psoriasis, and he has helped her, and others with psoriasis, to dress comfortably and fashionably, even when their psoriasis flares.

Gunn, who is part of a national psoriasis awareness campaign called Addressing Psoriasis™, says his first piece of advice for people with psoriasis is to see a doctor. He knows many people with psoriasis and says, “I have found it interesting how different each individual’s experience can be — how much their psoriasis can change and fluctuate depending on what’s happening with their condition. So an important message is: Go to a dermatologist and do all that you can to manage your condition because chances are you can manage it successfully, in which case your fashion and style options will be much more open-ended. You’ll basically be able to do anything.”

Clothing for Psoriasis: Stylish Strategies

You still may have days when your psoriasis flares and dressing can be more challenging. Here is Gunn’s fashion advice for when you want to cover up psoriasis:

Choose breathable fabrics. “Textiles that can breathe are essential so that you’re not closing in your body heat or your perspiration,” says Gunn. Cotton is generally the most breathable type of fabric. Synthetic fabrics do not breathe as much as cottons and can stick to your lesions, making you uncomfortable.

Choose lighter colors. This is especially true if you’re concerned about flakes from your scalp showing. As a rule, lighter colors hide flakes better than dark colors. Smaller patterns also can camouflage psoriasis flakes. “A print that has both light and dark colors — a dress or a top — can really mitigate the effects of that flaking,” Gunn says.

Avoid reds and pinks. Psoriasis lesions are red or pinkish, so you want to avoid fabrics and makeup in those shades, which can emphasize psoriasis.

Wear the right undergarments. “I really want to sing the praises of undergarments,” Gunn says in all seriousness. “If you are treating your plaques with topical ointments and you’re worried about staining your clothes, an undergarment can really be your best friend. It’s going to absorb that.” Undergarments also give you more freedom and flexibility because they put a barrier between your skin and your clothes, and you can wear so many types of clothes over them. “And there are so many wonderful new items — called shapewear — that can really cover you from neck to ankles, if necessary,” Gunn adds. Today, undergarments come in very breathable textiles that can stretch, so they are comfortable and forgiving.

Try on various fabrics to see how they feel. Natural fabrics such as cotton or silk tend to be softer and more breathable, but some kinds of silk may not work well for you. Linen is also a natural fabric, but some weaves can be itchy, as can wool. Trying on an article of clothing before you buy it is the best way to tell how comfortable it will be.

Choose items that cover psoriasis scales. Many people feel more comfortable if they cover their psoriasis so they don’t have to explain why their skin looks the way it does, so adjust sleeve lengths or pant lengths, Gunn suggests.

The other option is to have the confidence of a particular woman Gunn knows who has psoriasis. “She had very evident psoriasis outbreaks on her back and arms, and she was wearing a strapless dress by hook or by crook,” he recounts. “She had an attitude that ‘people need to accept me for who I am and the condition that I have and that is that.’ Owing to her level of confidence she did it and would do it again.”

Finally, Gunn says, whatever you choose, you will feel better about your appearance if you’re wearing clothing that you really like and feel good in. There’s no reason why you can’t be fashion-forward just because you have psoriasis and, in Tim Gunn’s favorite words, “make it work.”

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